Quantastical STRÄNG 2 – Organic Subtractive Synth

Quantastical Strang 2 is a subtractive synthesizer built around an idea you will not find in a standard analog emulation. Instead of treating convolution as an effect added after the synth, Quantastical Strang 2 runs a real-time convolution body inside every voice, so resonance becomes part of the instrument itself. Notes played twice can carry subtly different character, pads feel physical rather than pasted-on, and plucks ring the way a struck object does.

How the Quantastical Strang 2 convolution body works

A conventional subtractive synth moves in a straight line: oscillator, filter, envelopes, effects. Strang 2 bends that line by letting the oscillator excite a tonal convolution body as part of the voice. The best mental image is the wooden body of a cello — it shapes each note from the inside instead of coloring it afterward. Because the interaction happens per voice in real time, a chord blooms with sympathetic complexity rather than stacking identical copies of one sound, which is exactly why this organic subtractive synth has a reputation for sounding alive.

What is new in Quantastical Strang 2 version 2.5

Version 2.5 is a meaningful expansion. SYMPATHY adds sympathetic resonance with dedicated BLEND, DECAY and TONE controls, letting held notes ring through newly played ones — the same phenomenon you hear in a piano with the sustain pedal down, now fully under your control. The update also introduces a STRING physical-modelled exciter for Karplus-Strong-style plucks, the SPARKLE layer of shifting partials that travels from glassy bells to bowed textures, SHADOW and SUB layers for extra harmonic weight, a DUAL mode that stacks two full layers with A/B blending, four freely assignable envelopes with 12 destinations, 13 tempo-lockable S&H patterns, shareable preset packs, and a skin system with Walnut and Pink looks. The factory library grows to 341 presets.

Key features of the Strang 2 synth

• Real-time convolution body inside every voice for a resonant, physical character
• SYMPATHY sympathetic resonance with BLEND, DECAY and TONE controls
• STRING physical-modelled exciter and SPARKLE shifting-partials layer
• SHADOW and SUB layers plus DUAL mode for stacked two-layer patches
• Four assignable envelopes and 13 S&H patterns for constant movement
• 341 factory presets with exportable, shareable preset packs
• Built-in CORRIDOR coupled-rooms reverb and full MPE expression support
• macOS and Windows with AU, VST3, AAX and standalone versions

Who Quantastical Strang 2 is for

It suits producers and composers who already own plenty of conventional analog emulations and want an instrument with its own personality. Ambient and cinematic producers will reach for it for evolving pads and textures, game composers for atmospheric beds that never quite repeat themselves, and experimental electronic artists for plucked and bowed hybrids that sit halfway between synth and acoustic instrument. If your brief calls for organic movement rather than static presets, this Strang 2 synth is a strong pick.

Tech specs and compatibility

Quantastical Strang 2 runs on macOS and Windows as AU, VST3 and AAX, and it also ships as a standalone application for playing without a DAW. The current release is version 2.5 with 341 factory presets. MPE support arrived in version 2.3, with per-note pressure routable to volume or the modulation matrix, so expressive controllers get full use of the instrument. Quantastical also offers a trial if you want to audition the synth first — though at Plugboutique deal pricing, the decision gets easier.

Frequently asked questions

What makes Strang 2 different from a normal subtractive synth?

The real-time convolution body. Instead of generating a plain oscillator signal and shaping it afterward, every voice interacts with a resonant body while you play, which gives notes a physical, slightly unpredictable character you cannot get from a static signal path.

How many presets are included?

Version 2.5 ships with 341 factory presets, and you can export your own sounds as shareable preset packs complete with names, author info and cover art.

Does Quantastical Strang 2 support MPE?

Yes. Full MPE support was added in version 2.3, including per-note pressure routing, so it pairs well with expressive controllers and MPE-capable keyboards.

Ready to add an instrument with a pulse to your template? Quantastical Strang 2 is available now at Plugboutique deal pricing — a serious discount on one of the most original software synths around. Buy it today and start building pads, plucks and textures that sound like they are breathing.

Explore more Synth Plugins at Plugboutique, or pair it with Sauceware Scorch 2 – Sample Synth & MIDI Sequencer for an even bigger toolkit. Also listed on PluginsBoutique.